Capsule dispenser



J1me 1966 N. J. SMALLEY 3,257,029

CAPSULE DISPENSER Filed Dec. 16. 1963 EMA INVENTOR. NED J SMALLEV f- #224. XM

then inverts the container to pour out the pills.

United States Patent 3,257,029 CAPSULE DISPENSER Ned J. Smalley, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 330,744 3 Claims. (Cl. 221-301) volved removing pills or capsules from a container. Most pill containers have too small a neck openingto permit the consumer to reach in and remove a pill. As a result, theconsumer normally removes the closure and frequently results in a greater number of pills being poured into the hand of the user than is desired. This, of course,

destroys the sterility of the pills.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser which will permit a single pill or capsule to be removed from a container holding the same.

-It is an additional object of this invention to provide a two-piece dispenser wherein one member is rotatably engaged with the second member so that the dispensing is effected by a series of successive rotative movements while the container holding the capsules is inverted.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheet of drawings on which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly in section showing the dispenser of the present invention affixed to a container.

FIGURE 2 is a view from the interior of the bottle looking toward the dispenser of the present invention and showing capsules falling toward the dispenser.

3,25 7,029 Patented June 21, I966 dome and, preferably, is sized to permit a single capsule to pass therethrough.

Referring now to FIGURES l, 2, 3, and 4, the rotor 50 comprises a flat panel or disk 52 having three notches 54 cut in the outer periphery. Depending downwardly from the disk 52 is a domed portion 56 having three fins 60 depending downwardly therefrom. Each of the fins 60 is aligned with one of the notches 54. The rotor domed portion 56 has an externally disposed annular bead 58 formed therein which is adapted to engage the base member annular groove 44 in rotatable engagement therewith. When the bead 58 is engaged with the groove 44, the lower surface of disk 52 substantially abuts the This upper marginal edge of the cylindrical upper portion 42 of the base member dome. In addition, the outer periphery of the disk 52 substantially abuts the upper marginal edge of the base member skirt 32. The rotor disk 52 and domed portion 56 cooperate with the base member notch 46 to form a chamber 49. A grasping member 62 extends upwardly from the disk 52 to provide means for engaging and turning the rotor 50.

When it is desired to dispense a capsule 29, the container 10 is merely inverted causing the capsules therein to flow toward the dispenser. When one of the rotor fins 60 is aligned with the base member notch 46, it effectively prevents any capsules from flowing to the chamber 49. The rotor 50 may then be rotated by tuming the grasping member 62. When the rotor 50 has been rotated so that none of the fins 60 is aligned with the notch 46, a single capsule 29 falls into the chamber 49. The capsule 29, however, does not fall out of the chamher when the rotor is in that position because exit from FIGURE 3 is an elevational view partly in section of the dispenser rotor member taken through line 33 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the rotor member.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the dispenser base member. I

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the base member taken through line 66 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a container having the dispenser of the present invention afiixed thereto and showing the container in an inverted position so that the capsules fall toward the dispenser.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URE 1 a container 10 terminating at its upper end in a reduced neck 12 having threads 14 formed in the exterior surface thereof. dispenser of the present invention secured thereto. A plurality of capsules 29 are positioned in the container 10.

The dispenser comprises generally a base member 30 and a rotor member 50 rotatably engaged with said base member.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 5, and 6, the base member The container 10 is shown with the the chamber 49 is prevented by the disk 52, the notches 54 of which are then out of alignment with said chamber. The rotor 50 is then rotated further to align a notch 54 with the chamber 49 thereby permitting the capsule 29 to fall therefrom. With the rotor in this position, another fin is aligned with the notch 46 to prevent additional capsules from flowing into the chamber 49 while the notch 54 is aligned therewith.

It should be readily apparent from the foregoing description that the present invention provides an effective dispensing attachment to a container of pills or capsules. Numerous changes and modifications will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the rotor might have only one or two fins 60 or could have a considerably larger number than three. Preferably,

but not necessarily, the number of notches 54 should correspond to the number of fins 60. There must, however, be a fin 60 for each notch 54. Additionally, it should be understood that the dome 38 is not limited to the specific configuration illustrated but rather could assume a wide variety of configurations. Likewise, the grasping member 62may have many difierent configurations, the only requirement being that there be some element which the user may engage to rotate the rotor.

It is obvious that many other changes and modifications may be made in this dispenser without departing from its spirit and scope which is to be limited only by the following claims.

-I claim:

1. A dispenser for capsules or like articles comprising in combination: a base member having an annular skirt, a panel secured to said skirt intermediate the marginal edgesthe'reof, said panel including an open-topped dome, said done having a notch sized to receive a capsule therethrough; and a rotor having a disk, a downwardly disposed .domed portion extending into said base member open-topped dome, said disk and said downwardly disposed domed portion cooperating with said base member notch to form a chamber sized to receive a capsule there-,

in, said disk having at least one notch sized to permit the fiow of a capsule therethrough from said chamber when aligned therewith, a fin depending downwardly from said domed portion aligned with said disk notch and sized to prevent the flow of capsules to said chamber when aligned therewith, means for rotatably securing said rotor to said base member and means connected to said rotor to rotate the same.

'2. A dispenser for capsules or like articles comprising in combination: a base member having an annular skirt, a panel secured to said skirt intermediate the marginal edges thereof, said panel having an open-topped dome including a frusto-conically shaped lower portion decreasing in size in an upward direction and a cylindrically shaped upper portion having an inwardly facing annular groove formed therein, said dome having a notch sized to receive a capsule therethrough and means on the lower portion of said skirt for securing said base member to a container; and a rotor having a disk, a downwardly disposed domed portion extending into said base member open-topped dome and having an outwardly facing annular bead engaging said annular groove, said rotor .being rotatable relative to said base member, said disk and said downwardly disposed domed portion cooperating with said base member notch to form a chamber sized to receive a capsule therein, said disk having at least one notch sized to permit the flow of a capsule therethrough from said chamber when aligned therewith, a fin depending downwardly from said domed portion aligned with said disk notch and sized to prevent the flow of capsules to said chamber when aligned therewith and means connected to said rotor to rotate the same.

3. A dispenser for capsules or like articles comprising in combination: a base member having an annular skirt with upper and lower marginal edges, a panel secured to said skirt intermediate said marginal edges, said panel having an open-topped dome including a frusto-conically shaped lower portion decreasing in size in an upward direction and a cylindrically shaped upper port-ion terminating in an upwardly facing marginal edge and having an inwardly facing annular groove formed therein, said dome having a notch sized to receive a capsule therethrough and means on the lower portion of said shirt for securing said base member to a container; and a rotor having a disk portion seated on said dome upwardly facing marginal edge, the outer periphery of said disk substantially abutting the upper marginal edge of said base member skirt, a downwardly disposed domed portion depending from said disk extending into said base member open-topped dome, said domed portion having an externally disposed annular bead engaging said annular groove, said rotor being rotatable relative to said base member, the disk and the downwardly disposed domed portion cooperating with said base member notch to form a chamber sized to receive a capsule therein, said disk having at least one notch sized to permit the flow of capsules therethrough from said chamber when aligned therewith, a fin aligned with said notch depending downwardly from said domed portion and sized to prevent the flow of capsules into said chamber when aligned therewith, and means connected to said rotor to rotate the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,617,922 2/ 1927 Morrison.

2,683,554 7/1954 Mulhauser 221l52 2,880,906 4/1959 Probasco 221-203 3,055,559 9/ 1962 Allison 221-200 X 3,102,662 9/1963 Crabtree 221-151 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,098,150 2/1955 France.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR CAPSULES OR LIKE ARTICLES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A BASE MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR SKIRT, A PANEL SECURED TO SAID SKIRT INTERMEDIATE THE MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF, SAID PANEL INCLUDING AN OPEN-TOPPED DOME, SAID DONE HAVING A NOTCH SIZED TO RECEIVE A CAPSULE THERETHROUGH; A ROTOR HAVING A DISK, A DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED DOMED PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID BASE MEMBER OPEN-TOPPED DOME, SAID DISK AND SAID DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED DOME PORTION COOPERATING WITH SAID BASE MEMBER NOTCH TO FORM A CHAMBER SIZED TO RECEIVE A CAPSULE THEREIN, SAID DISK HAVING AT LEAST ONE NOTCH SIZE TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF A CAPSULE THERETHROUGH FROM SAID CHAMBER WHEN ALIGNED THEREWITH, A FIN DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID DOOMED PORTION ALIGNED WITH SAID DISK NOTCH AND SIZED TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF CAPSULES TO SAID CHAMBER WHEN ALIGNED THEREWITH, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SECURING SAID ROTOR TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ROTOR TO ROTATE THE SAME. 